This Robotic Tow Truck Will Come Lift Your Vehicle Away If You Park Illegally

Having your car get towed is never a good time, whether it’s because of a parking violation, it’s getting repossessed, there was an accident, etc. Even Ford applied for a patent that would allow future vehicles to be able to repossess themselves if their owner failed to keep up with payments. But the new reality of having a robotic tow truck come to take it away somehow makes it seem much worse.

This is the case in the United Kingdom in which a viral video shows the next step in the robotic evolution of a robotic tow truck lifting up and carrying away a Volvo XC60 that was illegally parked in a handicapped space.

What Is This Robotic Tow Truck?

Manufactured by the French towing vehicle company Multitract, this robotic dolly vehicle is designed to physically lift and remove vehicles that are illegally parked, such as the previously mentioned case. Aside from the fact that this Volvo owner is clearly in the wrong, there is something a bit unsettling about an autonomous vehicle coming out of nowhere unannounced and taking your vehicle way without any context.

It sort of reminds us of that line from the first Terminator film in which Kyle Reese says, “It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop… ever.”

Where this robotic tow truck shines where your typical tow truck may fall short is its ability to maneuver through tight spaces like narrow streets and underground parking lots. It also comes equipped with tank tracks, a 35-horsepower Briggs and Stratton engine, and can lift up to a total of 5,500 lbs.

Although they have been around since 2012, U.K. residents are starting to notice them a lot more lately. So until they bring this technology here to the U.S., our British friends will have to pay closer attention to their parking abilities for the time being. Because you’ll never know when one of these robotic tow trucks will sneak up on you!